News

Trawlers catching mackerel

The mackerel fishery for HB Grandi’s trawlers is in full swing, according to Magnús Kristjánsson, skipper of Sturlaugur H Bödvarsson AK. It´s good fishing in the Jökull Deeps where the fresher trawlers have been at work as well as in the adjoining area where the freezer trawlers have also been fishing.

‘We’re in our second mackerel trip in the Jökull Deeps now and we’re not catching any less than in the previous trip when we had 78 tonnes. 70 tonnes of that was mackerel and the rest was herring. Now I’m ready to haul again and we already have 40 tonnes on board,’ he said, adding that they sailed from Reykjavík Thursday night.

He said that they are using a Gloria 800 trawl from Hampidjan that is shared between HB Grandi’s fresher trawlers. The more powerful freezer trawlers use larger gear suited to their engine power.

‘We tow the gear on the surface so that the headline is visible the whole time. We’ve been getting some good quality mackerel in large sizes, and I gather there isn’t much feed in the fish.’

Sturlaugur H Bödvarsson is the second of HB Grandi’s trawlers to fish for mackerel this summer, taking over after Ásbjörn RE finished its three trips earlier this month with a 170 tonne catch. The fresher trawlers between them can take 400 tonnes of mackerel this summer.

According to Karl Már Einarsson, the company’s fleet manager for its freezer vessels, Örfirisey RE has done well on, landing 315 tonnes of frozen mackerel in Reykjavík on the 17th of July, and is due back with a further 400 tonnes today, the same day that Sturlaugur H Bödvarsson is also due to dock.